


The Knight and the Thief

by usulblue444 (orphan_account)



Category: Neopets
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-01-30
Updated: 2014-08-14
Packaged: 2018-01-10 13:48:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 6,889
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1160419
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/usulblue444
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A collection of drabbles focusing on Brynn and Hanso, and their lives before and after the events of The Faeries' Ruin. Genre will vary depending on the chapter. T rated for language, mild violence, and possibly suggestive situations.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Still Alive

**Author's Note:**

> I have no idea what I'm doing but here is a thing I wrote based on the twisted histories capsule series that was in the nc mall months ago.

The ixi thief was the last thing she saw, and the sound of glass shattering mixed with the clash of sword against bone were the last she heard. Hanso had stabbed the artefact with his dagger, and then dropped it to shield his eyes from the harsh green light that began to emanate from the artefact. Though she was blinded, she made a last attempt to reach forward and grab him. He was still cowering - just inches away from her outstretched arm - when she regained her vision. 

"It didn't work." She lowered her arm; a new idea already beginning to formulate in her mind. 

The ixi stopped shielding his face and looked down at the ruined artefact. He picked it up, turning it over and over in his hands, looking for an answer that simply wasn't there. "Did you hear me, thief?" Xandra called out. "It didn't work!" With a wave of her hand, she sent him flying backwards into the crumbling ruins of what was once a building. He grunted in pain, making no move to return to his feet. 

"Hanso!" A voice called out from behind her. Confident that the ixi wouldn't be moving any time soon, Xandra turned to look. 

Brynn had defeated Oblivion while she and Hanso were coming to their senses, but the wraith was of little importance to Xandra now. Oblivion had been nothing more than a distraction to keep the stupid girl out of her way while she dealt the thief. Now that their only plan had failed, she could easily finish the pair of them off. 

"Still think you can stop me, Brynn?" Xandra grinned. "You know, if your little friend here hadn't just tried to kill me, I might have considered giving you one last chance to join my side. Unfortunately for you, I have no choice but to kill you now."

"I'd never join you." Brynn gripped her sword tighter, meeting Xandra's gaze. "And I'm not giving up."

The sorceress laughed. "Are you watching Hanso? It's time for my grand finale." From behind she could hear the ixi struggle to stand up; he was clearly deluded if he still thought he could save the girl. As strong of a solider as Brynn was, her sword and what little of her strength remained were no match for Xandra's magic. Still, the kougra moved into a defensive stance, a defiant look on her face. Hanso, who had managed to get to his feet, began to shout when Xandra raised her arm. 

"Brynn! I'm sorry! I never meant for any of this, I lo-"

His words were cut off by the sound of screaming. The spell had hit Brynn square in the chest. Her sword clattered to the ground, joined shortly by her lifeless body. Hanso was no longer shouting. Xandra turned away from the girl's body to face him, pleased to see that his usual smug grin was long gone, replaced by tears.

"It's your turn."


	2. Needing/Getting (Part 1)

Hanso felt a hand close around his arm, and before he could protest he was dragged off his chair and away from the table he was sitting at. His arm was released once he reached the corner of the tavern. 

"Have you forgotten why we're here?"

Hanso looked up at his guildmaster's cold, stern face, and mustered up one of his trademark grins. "To get more drunk than any man has ever been?"

"I'm not in the mood for your jokes tonight."

"Look, Kanrik. I don't know why you dragged me over here. I spent the day in the dungeons and now that I'm out all I want to do is to celebrate with a drink." Hanso glanced over at the table he had been occupying a few minutes ago. Somebody had already cleared away his mug. He scowled. 

"At first I thought your plan was clever," Kanrik said, drawing Hanso's attention back to him. "Allow yourself to get captured by the guards a few times, learn their weaknesses, eavesdrop on their conversations while in the dungeons... but then I realized that wasn't your plan at all. You weren't trying to get close to the Captain of the Brightvale Guards to gain information; you're in love with her." 

"I am not in love with Brynn." Hanso fidgeted with the strip of cloth he wore around his right hand. He felt his cheeks flush, and desperately hoped Kanrik wouldn't notice in the dimly lit tavern. "In fact, I hate her. She's an annoying, uptight bitch if you ask me." It hurt dearly to say such nasty things about Brynn behind her back, but he couldn't let Kanrik go on thinking that he fancied her… especially since it was true, though he had a hard time admitting this to anyone, even himself.

Kanrik raised an eyebrow, but said no more about Brynn. "You're going soft. Either prove to me that you still want to be a member of the guild, or I'll have to make other arrangements/plans for you. We're not here to befriend the Brightvale Guards, we're here to steal the Crown of Brightvale." With that, Kanrik left to join a group of higher ranking thieves at a nearby table. 

Seeing as his drink had been taken, Hanso decided he'd best just leave. He shoved his hands into the pockets of his coat and headed for the stairs at the other end of the tavern, Kanrik's words still stewing in his head. He'd show him, that's what he's do. Hanso would demonstrate just how fine his thieving skills were, and he knew exactly who he'd steal from and what. 

The hallway upstairs was empty, and he was able to slip unnoticed into the room Kanrik occupied. He'd never been in the room before, having vowed to himself that he'd never venture into the guildmaster's room again, after an incident in Terror Mountain that involved him bursting in on Kanrik and Masila in bed together - a sight no amount of alcohol could remove from his brain. This was a special case, though, and having left Kanrik downstairs Hanso knew that he wouldn't be walking in on anything unpleasant. He unravelled the wrap around his left arm and selected a few tools, then quickly picked the lock on the door. It was pointless really, to have locked doors in a tavern full of thieves. A simple locked door hardly discouraged any of them from entering. 

Kanrik's room was dimly lit by a single candle sitting on a bedside table. Schematics of Brightvale castle were tacked up on the wall beside a door, and a mirror hung over the dresser. The room contained little else, besides a bed, a set of drawers and an open window at the far end. 

Hanso picked up the candle, and carried it over to a small set of drawers. Setting the candle down on the dresser's surface, he carefully began to rummage through the contents of the drawers one by one, until he found what he had been hoping for - a false bottom. After he had emptied the drawer, he removed the plank of wood that had been concealing the rest of the drawer's contents. A week ago he had overheard Kanrik discussing his latest stolen goods with one of the higher ranked guild members, supposedly they were to be a present for Hannah, the usul explorer from Krawk Island that Kanrik claimed he had no romantic connections with. He lift a pair of glittering purple orbs out of the drawer. They were... earrings? Hanso wasn't exactly sure, but he was confident that this was Hannah's present. Pocketing them, he began to place Kanrik's belongings back into the drawer.

He froze when he heard a pair of footsteps coming down the hall, and glanced quickly around the room when they stopped in front of the door. There was really only the bed to hide under, and Hanso doubted he'd be able to get underneath it in time. The door swung open, and he took a step away from the chest of drawers, feeling his heart sink when he saw Kanrik standing in the doorway. 

"Fancy meeting you here, Kanrik."

"What the fuck-" The guild master took a step forward, his hand reaching for one of the knives he kept on his person at all times. 

"I think I'll be leaving now." Hanso made a dash for the window, hoisting the pane up further so that he could slip underneath. He dropped to the ground, and took off through the alleyways, heading towards the nicer areas of the town. Besides running like a barbat out of hell, he really had no idea what his next move would be. If Kanrik didn't kick him out for stealing from a member, he would certainly kill him instead. He was no longer safe in this area of Brightvale, or any area really, unless... 

Hanso caught sight of Brynn shortly after emerging from the alleys. There wasn't enough time to properly explain his plan to her - he could hear what he assumed to be Kanrik's footsteps close behind, if the guild master had even deemed Hanso important enough for Kanrik to chase after the thief himself - but if he could catch her attention she would probably chase after him. Perhaps Kanrik wouldn't try to kill him if it looked like Brynn was already dealing with him, though Hanso wasn't too confident about that. He ran past Brynn, and sure enough he heard her mutter a quick apology to the elderly yurble she had been speaking with before turning to chase after him. Hanso darted back into the alleys. After all, he didn’t want to get Brynn in trouble. If anyone saw her helping him… 

It didn't take long for her to catch up to him; he had been running since he jumped out of the window of the tavern. She pounced on him, knocking both of them to the ground. In a matter of seconds she had pinned him to the ground, and pulled out a pair of handcuffs to restrain his hands.

"Hey, sweetheart. How are things going for you?"

"What the hell have you gotten up to now?" she hissed. "Tony says he only discovered your cell was empty an hour ago, how could you have possibly gotten yourself into trouble again? That's pretty stupid, even for you." 

"How do you know that I didn't just feeling like taking a nice run? By the way, are you going to get off of me soon? I mean, I understand if you like being on top of me like this, but lying in the dirt is just getting my jacket dirty. You know how I feel about my jacket."

Brynn got to her feet and yanked him off the ground. Before he could say anything else, she kneed him in the groin.

"I suppose I deserved that," he said after the pain had died down. 

Kanrik had caught up to them, choosing to remain in the darkest shadows until they had finished their exchange. He walked up to the pair, and glared at Hanso. 

"Can I help you?" Brynn's voice was cold; she apparently didn't feel it necessary to hide her dislike for the guild master. 

It gave him a little bit of hope, seeing that she could tell the difference between him, and a thief like Kanrik. Sure, he stole things, but that was nothing in comparison to some of the other crimes he had seen Kanrik commit. Things he would never dream of doing. He stole purely for survival, whether it be food so that he could eat, or treasures so that the higher ranked guild members would not kill him for failing to obey orders. Maybe, if he ever managed to escape the Thieves Guild, he could show Brynn that he wasn't entirely a bad person. Maybe they could even become more than-

"Your favourite thief here stole one of my belongings. I would advise you return it to me, or there will be consequences. For both of you."

Brynn drew herself up to her full height - which wasn't exactly impressive next to him and Kanrik. Hanso was taller than her, and Kanrik towered over both of them. "Are you threatening me?" She drew her sword, and calmly met the guild master's gaze. 

"Only if you plan to take his side."

She returned her sword to its sheath and turned to Hanso. "What did you steal from him?" 

"Some purple balls, Kinky stuff, if you ask me. Didn't think he was into tha-"

Kanrik grabbed a fistful of Hanso jacket, and lifted him up until they were eye level. "Listen closely, you little son of a bitch. I was the one who introduced you to the guild. I am the reason you are still alive today. I could have easily left you to die alone in the mountains, but I didn't. And this is how you choose to repay me? You better watch your fucking back, because once word of this gets around to the rest of the guild, you won't be alive for very much longer. Am I making my self clear?"

"Very clear." It came out as more of a squeak, and Kanrik released his jacket with a smirk. Brynn removed the handcuffs so that he could fish the earrings out of his pocket. 

"Is this what he stole from you?" She took the earrings from Hanso and held them out to Kanrik. 

"Yes." The guild master pocketed the earrings. He paused, and then added "If you care at all about that ungrateful little shit, I would keep a close eye on him." Having said his peace, he turned and headed to alleys, presumably to return to the guild and let the rest of the members know that Hanso had betrayed the guild. 

"I'm sorry," Hanso said quickly, once Kanrik was out of earshot. "I... I didn't mean to drag you into this. He... said I was getting soft, that I had developed feelings for you." He gave a shaky laugh, and then continued, "I told him that our relationship is strictly professional, but I'm not sure if he believed me. I never meant for you to get involved in this mess, though, I should have thought out a better plan. If they come after you, I swear, I'm going to make them pay. "

"I doubt they'll come after me; you're the one they're looking for. Besides, you can't fight for shit."

"They might try to get information out of you. Like I said, he seems to think I fancy you... which I don't, obviously." He watched Brynn closely for a reaction, almost hoping that his words would upset her, that she would confess she was harbouring some feeling for him too, that she would-

"Of course you don't. We're... friends, I guess, if you can even call it friendship."

Definitely not what he had wanted her to say. 

"So are you going to lock me up now?"

"Honestly, as much as I should throw you in the dungeons for this, I'm going to let you go. Give you a bit of a head start, so that you can find a place to lay low for awhile, and figure you what the hell you're going to do next." 

"You're amazing," he replied, giving her a small smile. 

"Don't think I'm disappointed with you, or that I don't think you're a fucking idiot for trying to pull that off," She put her hands on her hips, and glared at him. "I hate to admit it, but you've helped me out a few times in the past, I feel like I should at least give you this."

"I appreciate it, sweetheart. I really do." He hesitated, and then stepped forward and hugged her. She returned his embrace, and for the few seconds that it lasted it felt better than he had ever imagined it to feel. 

Hanso then headed off in the direction opposite the one Kanrik had gone. Perhaps he would go to Meridell... it might be far enough to get away from the thieves guild, but close enough that he would still be able to see Brynn. There was no way he could ever truly abandon her. Even if she didn't reciprocate his feelings, she meant far too much for him to just up and leave her forever.


	3. Needing/Getting (Part 2)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING: brief mention of rape. My headcanons tend to be a bit darker/more adult than official canon. Hope that doesn't deter anyone from reading.

It had taken a bit of persuading, but she had been able to convince Tony - the shadow tonu who had discovered Hanso's empty cell the other day - swap shifts with her. Since the incident, Brynn had been worried about Hanso's well-being. He wasn't particularly skilled at fighting - he could hold his own against a few rookie guards, but against a group of hardened thieves who had likely spilled a lot of blood before? He didn't have a chance in hell.

Normally the male guards jumped to take the night patrols in the rougher areas of town. Despite proving herself time after time, and being the Captain if the Brightvale guard, they were still wary of sending a woman out into the area that thieves and other shady characters were known to roam, fearing she would be raped and murdered. She couldn't really blame them, she wasn't exactly comfortable patrolling around these sorts of areas, but she was confident that she had enough training to take any potential attackers down. Tony had finally agreed to swap on the condition that if any of the guards on a nearby patrol noticed any danger, they were to report back for help immediately.

She had only been on patrol for twenty minutes before she caught sight of Hanso exiting a bar. He had something pressed to his lower abdomen, but she couldn't make out what it was before he disappeared down one of the winding alleyways. Brynn followed after him, quickening her pace in order to catch up. He must have heard her following him, because he paused, and ducked behind a building.

"Hanso!" Upon hearing the sound of her voice, he stepped out from his hiding place, and that was when Brynn noticed the blood.

"You shouldn't be here."

"What happened?" She closed the gap between them. A bruise was beginning to form around his left eye, and he was bleeding from several cuts on his face, though they were nothing compared to the blood soaked cloth he was holding off to the side of his stomach.

"Got into a bar fight." He shift his weight from one foot to the other. "I'm fine. You should go, this isn't a very nice area."

"Like hell I'm going to leave you here like this. What are you even doing back in Brightvale? I didn't let you go so you could wander around alleys and get torn to shreds by Kanrik's men."

"It's nothing you need to be concerned with. I don't want them hunting you down for information, remember?" He readjusted the cloth and winced.

"I don't care. I'm only leaving if you're coming with me." Brynn crossed her arms over her chest.

"I haven't done anything," he said sharply, his usually care-free manner gone. "I've learned my lesson, I'll head out right now. I won't try coming back until the guild leaves Brightvale. Okay?"

"Look, I'm not accusing you of doing anything wrong. You're hurt; you need medical attention. I'm on patrol for this area, and as a guard it is my duty to assist you. I have a bit of first aid training, at least let me patch you up before you head off." When he didn't respond, she added "I might... also be a little lost."

He smirked. "Was chasing after some no-good thief really that important to you, sweetheart?"

"I wouldn't call it chasing; you weren't going very fast."

"Cut me some slack, I was injured." He glanced down at the cloth he was holding, and sighed. "I suppose it would be best if I went back with you. I guess it wouldn't matter where I'm headed if I bleed out before I got there." Hanso took one of her hands, led her out of the alleys and back into town. She didn't pull away until they had reached their destination. She'd never admit it to him - or anyone else she knew - but she liked how it felt, the way their hands fit together despite their differences in species.

Brynn took him to the barracks, where she and the majority of the unmarried men serving in the guard lived. She had been given her own room, being the only woman, and besides providing her with a place to sleep, the addition of a desk had made it a nice office. She'd had the room since she began her training at the Brightvale Knight Academy, and though it was on the small side, it was better than sharing a room with her brother, Rowan.

"There's no one here to eavesdrop." She rummaged through her desk drawers, looking for a roll of bandages, which she set on the top of the desk upon finding them. "So when I get back from the bathroom I want you to tell me what you're doing here, and what happened at the bar."

"Got it."

 

Brynn returned from the bathroom a few minutes later with a wet cloth, and shut the door behind her. She sat down on the bed beside him, and handed him the cloth. Hanso started to explain his story as he dabbed at the cuts on his face.

"I only returned to Brightvale because I left something important behind. Something... that belonged to my mother. I stashed it because I didn't want some guard confiscating it from me thinking it was stolen." He paused when Brynn began to remove his belt.

"Keep talking. I'm only taking this off because I can't examine your injury with your jacket and shirt covering it," she muttered.

"I stopped at a tavern for the night because it was late and I didn't want to sleep in the streets, but some of Kanrik's men showed up and spotted me. Stabbed me with a knife. I wouldn't have gotten away if the barkeeper hadn't pulled them off me. Big fellow."

She had removed his shirt and jacket, and was doing her best to concentrate on his injury. It was sort of distracting, though. She had never seen him before without all of his clothes on, and she couldn't help but steal a few glances at the rest of his bare chest.

"Enjoying the view sweetheart?"

"Shut up," she growled, feeling her face flush.

He leaned closer to her, and whispered into her ear. "You know, if you want to fool around a bit after you've patched that up, I'd be fine with that."

"Shut the fuck up." Brynn snatched the wet cloth from him, and dabbed at the gash, pressing harder than necessary. He inhaled sharply, and stopped flirting with her.

"Is it bad?" He finally broke the silence.

"You'll live." She stopped cleaning the wound, and got up from the bed. The cloth was set down on the desk, and she returned to the bed with a roll of bandage. Sitting down again, she began to wind the bandage around his abdomen. His breathing hitched whenever her fingers accidentally brushed against his skin.

After a few minutes she declared the job finished, and he glanced done at her handiwork.

"Seriously Brynn, you are the best." He looked up at her, and reached out to push back a few loose strands of her hair. "I don't deserve half of the things you do for me."

Brynn shrugged. "Helping people is part of my job. I like it. That's why I became a knight."

His hand have moved from her hair and settled on her cheek. Her heartbeat was now considerably faster than normal. If she didn't have such good impulse control, she would have leaned in closer and kissed him. It wasn't the first time she had thought about doing something like that.

Hadn't he said the other day that he had no feelings for her? But that didn't explain the flirting, or the hair stroking, or why his hand was still touching her cheek.

Before she could figure any of this out, someone else entered the room. Shit. She had forgotten to lock the door.

"Captain Brynn!" Corporal Gareth, a yellow grarrl, stood in the doorway. "My apologies, I didn't realize you had... company. May I speak with you outside for a moment?"

"Of course, Corporal." She stood up from the bed, and followed him out of the room. The last thing she saw before she shut the door was Hanso scrambling to get the rest of his clothes back on. Perhaps he would sneak out of the room before she finished talking to Corporal Gareth and save her from an awkward confrontation.

"Captain, what in Neopia was that scoundrel doing in your room?"

"He was injured, I was only bandaging him up, he was just about to leave."

"I saw the bandages. However, I don't understand why he was touching you like that. Do you realize how bad that looks, Captain? You very nearly ruined your image with that mistake. Rumours might have been spread if someone else had walked in and saw you together like that. Think of how disappointed King Hagan would be if he found out through town gossip the captain of his guard had disgraced him."

"I'm sorry."

"I hate to say this, Captain, but I'm afraid I'm going to have to report this incident. If this were a first time occurrence maybe I could let it slide, but for years you have been covering for that thief, it's more than obvious you have a soft spot for him. We can't have the captain of our nation's guard giving special treatment to a thief, now can we? I'll do my best not to tarnish your image, of course, no need for you to become the town outcast over this incident. "

"Gareth, please." She could feel tears welling up in her eyes and she hated it. She didn't want to look weak in front of the corporal, and she certainly did not want Hanso to see her like this when she walked back into her office. "I promise it'll never happen again. It was nothing. He'll leave, and we'll never see from him again. Please, trust me."

"I'm sorry I have to do this, I really am. But I can't overlook this... Captain?"

She had begun to cry, despite her efforts not to, and Corporal Gareth looked unsure of what to do. She can't remember if he had seen her cry before; very few people had. "This job meant everything to me," she managed to choke out.

Gareth hesitated, and then put a hand on her shoulder. "You're sure he's going to leave Brightvale after this?"

"Positive."

"I... I suppose I've changed my mind. I know how hard you worked for this, Brynn, and I just can't bring myself to be the one who ends this for you. But this is your last chance, understood?"

"Thank you." She wiped the tears from her face, and hoped Hanso wouldn't be able to tell that she had been crying, if he was still in the room.

"Goodnight. I'll see you tomorrow on patrol." With that, the corporal turned, walked down the rest of the hallway, and out of a door. Brynn took a moment to collect herself before re-entering her office.

Hanso hadn't left, and he had a pitying look on his face. It was infuriating. She wondered how much of the conversation he had managed to hear.

"Brynn..."

"Leave."

"Brynn-"

"Get out of my office now. What were you even thinking, touching me like that? What do you think that looked like to him?"

"Then why didn't you stop me?" Hanso closed the gap between them. "You could have told me to stop, or physically restrained me, but you know what? For a second there I thought you were going to kiss me."

"Well you were wrong. Now get lost. I don't care where you go or what happens to you, as long as I never have to see your face again. Do you understand that?"

There was a pause, and both of them stood there, glaring at each other. She had never hated him so much in her life.

"Fuck you." Hanso had finally broke the silence. He walked past her and out the door, slamming it shut behind him.

Brynn sat down on the edge of her desk, and buried her face in her hands, waiting until the sound of his footsteps died down before she began to cry for the second time that night. Fyora, she was a mess, and as she sat there crying she realized she really had no one to blame but herself.


	4. Needing/Getting (Part 3)

It was funny how something as small and insignificant as a scarf could fuck up what little good remained in his life.

Hanso hadn't returned for the garment because he thought he would need it; for the first four years of his life, he and his mother had survived the frigid temperatures of Terror Mountain with nothing but luck and the clothes on their backs. Eventually their luck ran out; his mother got sick, and they were too poor to afford treatment, or a place to spend the night. Stuck out in the cold, she’d been forced to choose between her life and his. After giving him what little protection she had—the shabby old coat he wore to this day—she succumbed. He woke to find her gone. There had been little time for him to mourn; if he did not keep moving and find food or shelter, he would join her shortly.

Living on his own on Terror Mountain was how he had gotten tangled up with the thieves guild. Kanrik had caught him trying to steal from one of the higher ranked members, and managed to convince them to allow him to train Hanso instead of executing him on the spot. He was like a brother to Hanso in their early years, before his thirst for power corrupted him.

Hanso might have become like Kanrik, might have turned to murder and other unspeakable acts... if he hadn't met Brynn.

Despite being a repeat offender, and almost getting her fired on multiple occasions, they’d developed an odd sort of friendship. He was there for her when she needed someone to talk to, and she had been there to save his sorry ass so many times. It was how the scarf came into his possession in the first place.

\- - -

Hanso was surprised she noticed him at all; he had chosen this spot because it was particularly well hidden, enough that other lowlife left him alone, and shopkeepers didn't chase him off.

She glanced around to ensure none of the other guards on duty were nearby. "Are you alright?"

He stood up, and coughed a couple of times. "I'm fine, sweetheart," he managed to say. "Better now that you're here." He hoped she’d be annoyed enough by his flirting to miss his symptoms.

"Really? Because you look like shit." She crossed her arms, and her expression made it clear she wasn't planning on leaving. He was going to need another tactic.

"I'm just a little under the weather. Really, I'll be fine." He sneezed, and Brynn continued to frown at him. "Don't you have more important things to worry about than talking to a delinquent like me?"

"I've told you before; it is my duty as a guard to help any citizens who are in need of assistance. Even you."

He smirked. "And I've told you just now that I don't need any assistance."

She sighed. "Hanso, I can tell that you're sick. I just want to help."

"Look," he averted his eyes as he spoke. "I know I need to get out of the cold, but... I don't... I'm homeless, okay? And you obviously can't let me stay with you in your room at the barracks. People might get the wrong idea."

"Why didn't you tell me?" She put a hand on his shoulder, and he looked up again.

"I didn't want you feeling sorry for me. I can take care of myself; I've been doing it most of my life."

Brynn thought for a moment, and then unwrapped the green scarf she was wearing around her neck. She held it out to him. "Will you at least take this? It's not much, but it'll at least keep you warm." When he didn't reply, she stepped forward and wound it around his neck.

He would have protested, but it was soft, and it smelled like her. He'd give in this time.

"Cheers, Brynn." Hanso smiled, and she returned it.

"Promise me you'll come and find me if it gets any worse?"

He thought of his mother, and then nodded. He would not make the same mistake twice.

\- - - 

Hanso reached into his pocket, and felt the knitted fabric of Brynn's scarf. She didn't know that it was the reason he had returned. He'd lied; told her he had come back to retrieve something that had belonged to his mother. He couldn't tell her that he wanted to hang onto it because it still smelled like her, faintly, but surely.

He missed her. He missed the way her body had felt against his when he had hugged her that one time, and the way her fingers had felt against his bare chest. The things he would give to feel her hands on other areas of his body... He wondered briefly what might have happened if the door had been locked. He supposed he should be glad that it hadn't, otherwise he was sure he would have kissed her, and that would have ruined everything. He was not certain that she didn't return his feelings, but even if she did, they would never be able to pursue anything. A simple friendship with him had almost destroyed her career; a romantic relationship would pretty much ruin her entire life.

Still, despite knowing this, his feelings for her had only grown stronger over the years. He had fallen in love with Brynn, and there wasn't anything he could do about it. He could run away from Brightvale, as he was doing now, but he couldn't run away from his heart.

In the end, he found himself at Kiko Lake. It was a popular vacations spot; free from the cares of the world, with picturesque scenery. Cottages owned by affluent Neopians dotted the shores of the lake. Thankfully the end of summer was looming closer, and quite a few of the summer homes were already abandoned. He scoped out a cottage that was off on its own, to avoid being noticed by any neighbouring families, and picked the front door's lock with ease. He wasn't planning on staying in the area for too long, but it would be nice to sleep on a surface that wasn't the ground for a few days.

 

Not only were the residents of the lake exceptionally easy to steal from, they were exceptionally friendly, too.

"Something wrong, lad?"

He shrugged, and downed the last of the liquid in his glass. The zafara next to him ordered Hanso another drink. "You look like you could use a little pick-me-up."

"Thanks," Hanso mumbled.

"So what's troubling you? Lost your job? Lost a family member?" He wasn't entirely sure how it happened, but he soon found himself weeping on the older gentleman's shoulder.

The zafara patted him once on the back; his expression was one of great discomfort. When Hanso had finished telling the man his (nearly unintelligible) story about his mother, he and moved onto Brynn.

"I fucked up," he sobbed. "She hates me. I love her, and she never wants to see me again."

"I... I'm sure she'll come around eventually." He gestured for the bartender to cut Hanso off.

"You don't understand," Hanso continued. "I can't be with her. She throws me in jail for a living!"

"Okay, lad, I think you should maybe be getting home now. Get some sleep, yeah? You're starting to talk nonsense." He pushed Hanso off of him, and slid a couple of coins across the countertop. "Here I'll pay for his drinks. He needs to be going now," he said to the bartender.

"It's true, though," Hanso sniffled. He stood up, and slowly made his way out of the bar. Somehow he made it back to the cottage, where he fell asleep on the living room couch using Brynn's scarf as a pillow.

 

He spent his third day at Kiko Lake recovering from his hangover. On his fourth day, he decided to pay a visit to the candy shop.

Hanso hadn't intended on stealing anything until he spotted the taffy.

\- - - 

"You're under arrest for breaking and entering, and theft," the purple aisha announced, cuffing Hanso. "What do you have to say for yourself?"

"I didn't break in. The door was unlocked. Honestly, can you really complain about someone stealing your valuables if you can't even be bothered to lock your own front door?"

The middle-aged wocky he had just stolen from scowled at him. Hanso smiled at her.

"Your jewellery." The aisha handed the stolen items back to the woman, and then turned to Hanso. "Is there anything else you have to return, thief?"

"No," Hanso lied, thinking of the taffy from an earlier heist he had hidden in the lining of his jacket.

It had been foolish of him to get caught lifting the jewellery. He had intended to give the taffy to Brynn later today as a birthday present. Now that he had landed himself in jail, he would have to hope she was feeling generous enough to pay him a visit. If he was empty-handed, he'd have to get back into her good graces on his charm alone, something that was getting increasingly harder to do.

"Very well." The guard took him by the arm, bid the wocky goodbye, and pulled Hanso in the direction of the dungeons.

As luck would have it, Brynn did show up to visit him that night.

"Sweetheart! Happy Birthday, princess. Sorry I couldn't spend the day with you." He flashed her a cheesy grin.

Brynn glared at him. "Never call me that again. Not if you like the way your face looks."

"Call you what? Sweetheart, or princess? I'm fond of both, personally." He could tell by her expression that he had pushed it too far, and quickly retrieved the hidden bag of taffy. "Here," he thrust it at her through the bars of his cell. "A birthday present."

She took the bag from him with and uneasy look. "Hanso, there's nothing... illegal in here, is there?"

"Catnip," Hanso smirked. She looked horrified. "I'm joking! It's candy, sweetheart, relax!"

She peered into the bag to check, and breathed a sigh of relief. He was right, it was only taffy. "Don't ever scare me like that again." Her voice was stern. "Do you know how fast I would lose my job if they caught me with drugs?"

"I'm sorry." He reached through the bars of his cell again, this time to stroke her hair.

"I'll forgive you this time. You're lucky taffy's my favourite." She gave him a small smile.

He knew that, of course. That taffy was her favourite. He had spent a week eavesdropping on conversations to make sure he got the perfect gift for her. Nothing too flashy, it needed to be small enough to conceal, and innocent enough she wouldn't take it as a romantic gesture.

"Thanks." In spite of the bars separating them, she managed to hug him.

"Anytime". He grinned. "But, if you ever want some catnip instead, I know a guy..."

\- - - 

He scooped a small amount of taffy into a paper bag. He had half a mind to send it to her with an apology note, but knew exactly how bad that would look to her colleagues. It would only infuriate her more.

A blue shoyru entered the shop, and approached the purple kiko running the counter. "I'm here to pick up a package. A shipment for the upcoming festival in Faerieland."

"One minute," the kiko smiled at him, and disappeared into a backroom She reemerged a few minutes later with a brown parcel in her hands. "Here you go, Sir."

The shoyru paid for the order, and left the shop with the box under his arm.

Hanso watched him leave with great interest. He wondered if the shoyru was to deliver the parcel himself, or if there was an airship nearby with more supplies for the faerie's festival? He could use a party to take his mind off Brynn for a while. And there would be plenty of food for him to loot from the celebration, among other things. If there was a ship he could stow away on...

"Ready to pay, dear?" The shopkeeper interrupted his thought.

"One minute, just need to grab something else."

He waited until she was busy with another customer before slipping out of the shop with the taffy. He headed off in the direction he'd seen the shoyru leave. With a little bit of luck, he would be in Faerieland shortly.


End file.
